Hawaii

Go Hawaii

Planning Your Trip

Check out Hawaii the Big Island Revealed when planning your trip to the islands. Package deals can often be the best way to go to Hawaii with good prices available for a combination of flights, 4-star hotels, and a rental car. Consult the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper or call a travel agent. Pleasant Holidays has 45 years of experience in offering travel values to Hawaiian visitors and is well recommended by many.

Comments:

I believe the package deals are usually the best for Hawaii. My parents' friends have this timeshare and convince the 'rents to go and hang out on the islands with them every once in a while - my parents pay the same or less for a package deal as what the friends are spending on the airfare alone (on top of the timeshare - what a scam). They make their arrangements through a travel agent.

Agree about the package deals for Hawaii. It's the only time we've ever used them. I realized early on that this was the only way to go. This was also the first time in years and years that we used a travel agent. We used her for the second week of lodging plus the car. I had already bought tickets to and from Oahu, but she handled air travel between the islands. I know that hostels and cheap B&Bs exist; we stayed in a cheapish B&B on Kauai and a nice, not too expensive one on the Hilo side of the Big Island.

I recommend Pleasant Hawaiian -- great deals, especially during the time before the Christmas season starts.

Hawaii, the "Big Island"

A don't-miss-it sight on the Big Island of Hawaii is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where you can see two of the world's most active volcanoes and watch lava flowing into the ocean. A tropical rain forest surrounds Hilo on the island's east coast with some spectacular waterfalls that have easy access. You've heard of Kona coffee? On the Kona Coast is Kealakekua Bay where coffee was introduced in 1828 and where you can taste the brew at Bay View Farm Coffees. On the shore of Kealakekua Bay south of Kailua-Kona is a white monolith commemorating British Captain James Cook's death in 1779. Also visit Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, the Place of Refuge, where the traditional Hawaiian lifestyle is preserved. Hapuna Beach on the northwest coast has frequently been voted the best beach in the U.S. It's great for swimming, snorkeling, and picnicking. On the north coast is Waimea Valley Audubon Center where visitors can hike, picnic, and check out wildlife. Places to stay include Volcano Village Lodge near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in Kailua.

Kauai

Discover Kauai

Lush, wild, and tropical, Kauai is full of stunning natural beauty amid a laid-back atmosphere. Take an aerial tour of the rain forest, enjoy the usual island water activities, or hike down Waimea Canyon Road.

Maui

Best of Maui

If you're interested in whales, check out the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in Kihei. Nearby are the beaches at Makena. On Maui's beautiful western shore is Ka'anapali Beach with its magnificent white sand. Also stop at Lahaina, a historic town and the second most visited spot on Maui after its beaches. Maui isn't just about beaches, though ... you can hike at Haleakala National Park and see its volcanic landscape and rain forest. Check out the online hiking guide before you go. If you want to visit a really isolated spot, head for Hana at the end of a 52-mile road with 600 curves and 66 one-lane bridges. Places to stay on Maui include the Maui Prince Hotel at Makena and Banana Bungalow Maui Hostel in Wailuku.

Oahu

In Hawaii it's all about the beach, and the most famous one is Waikiki in Honolulu. Enjoy the warm waters or rent a beach chair and chill. At the end of the beach is Diamond Head, and you can hike up its trail for a breathtaking view of the entire west side of Oahu. About 45 minutes from Waikiki at Pearl Harbor is the USS Arizona National Memorial, final resting place for the crew members who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. On the north shore of Oahu is Waimea Bay Beach Park with calm waters for swimming in summer and some of the most spectacular surf for riding in the winter. One option for overnight accommodations in Honolulu is the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel.

Trip Report #1 - August 2002

I was in Honolulu for 4-1/2 days, Maui for two, and Hilo for one day and one night. In Honolulu I stayed at the New Otani Hotel at the far end of Waikiki Beach, right under Diamond Head. It was a pretty nice hotel, and I swam with a sea turtle right there at the beach. The hotel is separated from the rest of Waikiki Beach by a big park (and there's a huge park on the other side as well so it's not at all developed like the rest of the beach) which makes it nice because all the other hotels are just right in the middle of the main tourist area and aren't really that relaxed. They also did an amazing Sunday morning breakfast right on the beach -- a bit pricey, but seeing the sun come up and eating all the fresh fruit was well worth it.

I went to Pearl Harbor (not to the Arizona Memorial but to see one of the U.S. ships that is based there) and to the Hawaii Fish Market (open to the public) which was very interesting. Only problem is that the auction is over by 9:00 so you have to get there early. It's interesting to see all the different types of fish and how the bidders check for the best fish. I hiked Diamond Head. You can go by car into the park, but I walked from the hotel. It took me about 45 minutes to get inside the crater from the hotel, and from there it was about 30 minutes to the top (would've been less but for all the tourists). It's worth it just for the amazing view you get from the top. There are a lot of great restaurants in Honolulu, and the beach is pretty amazing. The only drawback was the traffic. One place I would definitely not recommend was Hanama Bay - way too many people, and the coral there is crap compared to other areas off the island.

On Maui I stayed at the Maui Prince. It was an amazing hotel (nicest one I've ever been in) -- two balconies, one overlooking the ocean, another looking back into the hills. We spent the majority of our time (read, the morning) at the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on Maui. It's a very nice place, and during whale watching season, the bay is the best place to see the whales since they come amazingly close to shore. At the visitor's center there is also an ancient "fish farm" that the locals are slowly rebuilding. It's interesting to look at because that was one of the ways the islanders caught their fish for hundreds of years. Because we were only on Maui for two days, I didn't have time to see the back areas which I would have loved. The snorkeling was amazing just from our beach. Three of us snorkeled for about three hours in the afternoon. We swam under a coral arch, saw coral caves, sea turtles, giant manta rays, and all types of assorted fish. There were two restaurants we tried -- one was right outside the airport and was Italian, very good and not that expensive. The other was the hotel's best restaurant which was very good and extremely expensive. Can't remember the names of either.

In Hilo we basically had a very tight schedule -- landed and about an hour later we were headed up to the top of Mauna Loa to see our government lab. The drive up was pretty interesting because the road is very windy, bumpy, and hilly, and it is carved out of the lava flows (the last one on the mountain was in the 1940s). The views were pretty amazing, but at 11,000 feet I got a little bit lightheaded. The ride back was definitely spent sleeping to avoid the effects of the drive. That night we went to Volcanoes National Park -- no dinner to speak of, just grabbed some to-go food right outside the park. This was definitely the highlight of the trip. Our group had three people who lived in Hawaii, and two of them were locals so they clued us in on a lot of the local customs, why the volcanoes are unique, etc. The drive down (about 40 minutes from the park entrance) was amazing because, other than car headlights, it was pitch black. Then when you get to a certain point, you start seeing this red glow atop a large hill. It takes you a while, but then you realize that the glow is from the lava. We got to the bottom and parked, and they had arranged a private tour by one of the park rangers. You have to hike about 30 minutes to get to the lava following these little yellow markers. The trail is walked two times a day by the rangers since the lava can break out at different places and force them to move the trail markers. (If you go at night, bring a flashlight; you'll need it, and they don't provide it.) It was amazing, though. You start getting a bit warmer, but you'll crest a hill, and *bam*, the temperature will go up 15 - 20 degrees and you can literally feel the heat. As you get nearer, you can look at cracks in the rocks, and you see a faint glow, and you realize that it's lava maybe 3 - 6 feet underneath you, flowing or creeping along in tubes. You can get as close as you want to the lava. I, being quite stupid, got about two feet from the lava and got a picture (which turned out horribly). It was truly amazing. We stayed there for about two hours. When we got back to the parking lot, we were amazed at the clarity of the sky. Since you're right at the edge of the ocean and there is no light pollution, the stars are amazing. We saw about four shooting stars in 30 minutes. Like I said, it was the highlight of my trip.

Cost: No bloody idea. Work paid for it so I really didn't care what the cost was. I think the room in Honolulu was around $140 (government rate), the room in Maui was $200 (should've been $150, but they were out and I had to pay for the next higher grade up which I didn't mind since I got two bathrooms, two balconies, a living room, sitting room, kitchen/minibar, and some free snacks and bottled water). The hotel in Hilo was crap. We only got it because we had an early flight out in the morning.

You can spend as much or as little on food as you like. We ate breakfast at one place in Hilo that I paid $10 for an amazing meal which consisted of fried rice in a bowl with a hamburger patty on top of the rice, two eggs sunny side up on the hamburger, topped off with brown gravy (there are thousands of different ways to get it made since you can get Spam, white rice, eggs cooked any way, etc.). However, I think my bill in Maui at the hotel restaurant came out to be around $90, which was the per diem for me for the whole trip. (I made some money on that!) I bought the usual souvenirs, but those cost about as much as any place. Tours are pretty expensive, but there's plenty of stuff to do. I plan on going back -- not really sure about going back to Oahu, but definitely want to check out Molokai and Kauai.

Trip Report #2 - August 2002

I went in August and stayed in Kona on the Big Island for a week. We had giant turtles underneath our balcony at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Besides counting the turtles every morning, we went hiking in Volcanoes National Park and got within five feet of flowing lava; toured Travel and Leisure World's Most Beautiful Beaches; drove around the entire island which included a stop at Waimea Valley, a gorgeous canyon; went to the rain forest in Hilo; kayaked across the bay where dolphins swam; snorkeled; and went to The Place of Refuge where there is a model royal village. Waterfalls abound on the Hilo side of the Big Island, while beaches on the Kona side are fantastic. Seeing lava flow was the most amazing experience of my life, I have to say. Watching the earth being born is unbelievable.

We bought most of our food at the grocery store near the hotel because we did a lot of long day trips, and the Big Island can get pretty isolated so packing your own food is a must. For about $20 we had breakfast and lunch for two each day. For dinner you can spend another $20 - 30 a day for two if you just go to a little restaurant or go back to the grocery store for sammiches/fruit/taro chips and sushi. Mmmmmm. Also be aware that the island pretty much shuts down at 10 pm so eat before then. Avoid the hotel restaurants, and you should be okay for $$. We did spend $30 for breakfast one day because it was the first morning and we had the hotel buffet, but dammit if we didn't fill up to last until dinner. And pool - who swims at the pool when there are miles of white sandy beaches adjacent to clear warm calm water? I didn't expect that I would have enjoyed Hawaii so much, but I really loved it.

Trip Report #3 - August 2002

We visited Oahu (stayed with aunt in Honolulu), Kauai, and the Big Island. On the Big Island we began on the Hilo side and stayed in a wonderful B&B. After two days we drove to Kona and spent five days at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Tons of turtles, and I even saw an ono while snorkeling. I probably liked Kauai the best because of the down-home atmosphere and the incredible lushness ... plus we hit some great beaches. On the other hand, the volcano side of the Big Island was indeed very cool. We hiked around the volcano, saw lava, etc. Coming from dry-as-a-bone Denver, I fell in love with the massive tree ferns, ginger flowers, and the mist on the Hilo side of the island. Man, if I lived in California, I'd go to Hawaii every chance I got! Our Hawaii trip was the first one we ever did which was, in part, a package. Price-wise, it just seemed the only way to go. I used a travel agent to book car rental, hotel in Kona, and air to and from Hawaii as well as inter-island. I booked our own places to stay in Kauai and Volcanoes National Park. I think the whole trip (aside from meals) was about $2,000. We did get breakfast included in Kauai and Volcanoes. BTW, I liked Oahu much more than I thought I would. Honolulu is indeed a real city but is very mellow. You drive out just a ways and find yourself in the country. Pearl Harbor was well worth it.

Trip Report #4 - December 2002

I went to Kona in December and had an unbelievably awesome time. We stayed in an oceanfront condo south of Keahou Bay and at the Volcano Village Lodge. I drove all over that dang island and had just a friggin' blast -- Hapuna Beach, the sea turtles, Captain Cook's monument, etc. I probably had such a great time because my lady friend liked doing all the things I like to do (hike, snorkel, kayak, swim, etc.) and could do them well.

Cost? First class companion flight $200 plus $150 for one night at the Volcano Village Lodge. The condo was free. Buy your booze at Costco, and drink on the cheap. Buy your trinkets at the ABC stores. Have a microbrew at the Kona Brewing Company -- the food and beer are pretty good. We pretty much prepared our own food bought at Costo or a supermarket (KTA). The KTA had pretty good prepared Japanese food (sushi and marinated raw fish -- can't think of the name). Dinner at the Volcano Village Lodge was pretty damn expensive -- $25 each without drinks, but I ate one of the best blackened tuna dinners I've ever had plus the mango margarita was awesome. I'm very tempted to go back.

Trip Report #5 - August 2004

I just got back from spending a week on Maui. I stayed at the Banana Bungalow Maui Hostel which offers free daily tours of the island (just tip the driver because they don't get paid). The hostel is in Wailuku, which doesn't have that much around so the tours are a blessing. A dorm bed was $20 per night, and a private room was about $37. Stay six nights and get the seventh night free! I used air miles to get to Maui from the east coast and only paid $120 for accommodations so it was a great cheap vacation! I really enjoyed Lahaina. It's an old whaling town with lots of history and Buddhist shrines, lots of shops and restaurants, and is right along the water. It has a very old and very huge banyan tree in the center of town. I also went to Makena to Big Beach and Little Beach, where the water was beautiful but very rough getting in and out. I got knocked down a few times myself. Little Beach, by the way, is a nudist beach, but it's a great spot to watch the sunset. One of the free tours takes you to Hana, which is a very twisty-turny road. People who get car sick, beware, but the scenery is great, and you cross over 40 one-lane bridges. You also get to go to the red sand beaches and swim in the seven sacred pools. Ka'anapali Beach was absolutely gorgeous with crystal clear water -- lots of expensive hotels, too. Paia was a nice little hippie town with Baldwin Beach nearby. If you want to shop at a great natural foods store, then go to Mana in Paia! It's always busy 'cause they have everything! Don't forget to do the 12-mile hike up Haleakala Volcano. It's one of the free tours offered. I would definitely go back to Maui because I truly enjoyed myself.

Trip Report #6 - August 2005

I was in Oahu over the weekend. Quite an island of contrasts ... ridiculous natural beauty, crowded cities, locals who seemingly trash their own local spots, rampant petty thievery, etc. We had some excellent snorkeling in perfect temperature water. We spotted and had a great time checking out cuttle fish, octopus, some eels, etc. The north shore was amazingly calm ... quite a difference from what I've seen during the winter at Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach. The weather is even more monotonous than in San Diego. Honolulu is as congested as well. On the positive side, the water is awesome, about 80 degrees.

Comments:

Hawaii was the biggest surprise of our traveling life. We loved it. First stay was in Honolulu and the Windjammer in Waikiki -- totally cheap hotel but cool because it's right on this cool little street with bars and restaurants open all night, 100 yards to the beach. Our balcony overlooked the street, and it was fun to people watch after a night out. Take a drive to the north shore. Avoid the Polynesian Cultural Center. Hike up to that waterfall (can't remember the name). Buy cheesy island stuff. Second stay was at Maui at my parents' condo. (I know -- we're lucky.) Maui is beautiful.